Kiss News

By Erin O'Hare / C-Ville.com
Photo by Keith Leroux

They’ve shown us everything they’ve got, kept us dancing while the room got hot. They’ve driven us wild, we’ve driven them crazy. KISS has taken us for a spin, but now the party’s winding down, and for one last time, they’re letting us in: The legendary hard rockers play John Paul Jones Arena Friday, on their End of the Road World Tour.

In advance of the show, we spoke with band co-founder and “Black Diamond” and “Detroit Rock City” songwriter Paul Stanley—aka The Starchild—about 40-plus years of rocking and rolling all night, his makeup removal routine, fan stories that rock his world, and whether or not this really is the end of the road for the band.

C-VILLE: This is your last tour. What song will you be happy to never play again?

Paul Stanley: I’m thrilled with every song we play. My point of view is, if you’re tired of playing a song, it’s probably not a good song. Some of these songs come from 45 years ago, or even longer, and they’ve stood the test of time because they’re that good. And for me to not give them the respect that they deserve, would be me being undeserving of those songs. I’m thrilled to play “Rock & Roll All Nite.” I’m thrilled to play “Love Gun.” I’m thrilled to play “God of Thunder,” “Detroit Rock City,” and on and on and on. So, those songs are rallying cries for us and our audience. Our connection to our audience is so strong because we never lose sight of wanting to please them. And on this final tour, this is the ultimate KISS show. It’s bombastic. It’s over two hours of all the songs you want to hear. It’s a unique opportunity to know that this is the last time. Many times in life, we all find ourselves losing someone, or losing something, and saying, “If I had only known, I would have done something different.” Well, instead of going out with a whimper, we’re going out with a bang! And this is a victory lap where we all get together—because it’s like a congregation of everyone cheering for what we’ve accomplished. And by “we,” I mean us and the fans.

What song will you most miss playing?

I love ’em all. And again, it’s important to note that this is the end of touring. The band isn’t necessarily disappearing into thin air. It’s just reached a time where touring, and doing 100 shows in seven months, which is what we’ve done so far, is just…it’s just too demanding and time-consuming, when there’s other things to do in life.

The band put together a book of official KISS memorabilia (KISS: The Hottest Brand in the Land)…but I’m curious, what’s the coolest or most bizarre piece of fan-made KISS swag you’ve seen?